HONOLULU, HI – On the first National Human Trafficking Awareness Day since its creation, the Department of the Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division (“SIPD”) recognizes the necessity of stamping out human trafficking in Hawai?i, and the challenges that lay ahead.

Human trafficking is generally defined as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or sex act or causing someone under the age of 18 to engage in a commercial sex act, regardless of the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Under Hawai?i law, Sex Trafficking and Labor Trafficking in the First Degree are both Class A felonies, which are punishable by up to twenty years in prison.

In 2022, the Hawai?i Legislature appropriated substantial funds for the creation of SIPD, which has a mission of combatting human trafficking in the State of Hawai?i.  SIPD’s Supervising Deputy Attorney General David Van Acker states:

“SIPD was created to help fight human trafficking through aggressive criminal prosecution to hold offenders accountable. Our division also aims to raise public awareness about the threats that human trafficking presents to the state by providing training opportunities and partnering with community stakeholders. We are eager to collaborate with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to achieve these goals.”

Members of the public who suspect human trafficking can report what they see in various ways:

    In cases of emergency, call 911

    For child trafficking reports on O?ahu: (808) 832-1999

    For child trafficking reports on neighbor islands: 1-888-398-1188

    For human trafficking reports to federal law enforcement: 1-866-347-2423

    To get help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888